Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 19, 1990 TAG: 9004190010
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
On the surface, critics could take issue with the hiring of Jeff Jones, at 29 some nine years younger than Littlepage, especially since Jones had no head-coaching experience.
But it was Littlepage's coaching record that surely worked against him, rather than his race.
It is true, as Littlepage suggested, that fired black coaches are having trouble finding new head-coaching positions.
It is equally true that fired coaches of any race have difficulty getting new jobs, certainly not superior jobs.
"I'm trying to help John Kuester get a job," North Carolina coach Dean Smith said Wednesday. Kuester, a Richmond native and North Carolina graduate, was released after four years at George Washington. Smith said Kuester would not have considered trying for the UVa job.
Littlepage was 23-63 in three years at Rutgers. He was fired, and the next season Bob Wenzel won 20 games and the Atlantic 10 championship with Littlepage's players.
There was no way UVa athletic director Jim Copeland could have searched 10 months for a replacement for Terry Holland, then hired a guy who had gone 23-63.
Littlepage understands his record was a factor. "It may have been, in his [Copeland's] mind, the only reason," he said. "If somebody wants a reason not to pick Craig Littlepage, that's the obvious one. To my point of view, that's an old issue."
To my point of view, that is the current issue. Any ACC job is among the top 30 in the nation, and, at this moment, UVa is better than that. The new coach inherits a Top Twenty Five team with good recruits waiting in the wings. No ACC school would hire a coach whose previous experience had been a relative disaster.
"I felt there was a tremendous amount of merit to hiring a black coach from the standpoint of mending the university's image," Littlepage said.
Copeland considered this issue, and top black coaches were considered for the position. Indications are that at least one, Boston University's Mike Jarvis, was contacted.
Some of Littlepage's words sound very much like sour grapes. "If you look at every one of the candidates, there is some question about their ability," he said.
Simply not true in the case of Xavier's Pete Gillen or Stanford's Mike Montgomery, or Jarvis, for that matter. And it is presumed Copeland didn't know any negatives about Providence's Rick Barnes until after Barnes rejected the job after accepting it.
It is important to realize Copeland knew - knows - his reputation was on the line. Given that, could he possibly hire a guy with a career record of 63-102? No way.
Littlepage is a very good man. He should help the university in a new role as an athletic administrator. But, with his coaching record, he should not have been promoted.
While it may be accurate that fired black coaches have trouble getting new jobs, it also should be acknowledged that, because their numbers have been distressingly low in Division I, there aren't many in that fraternity.
And I don't know of any fired coach who would be given consideration by a program of UVa's stature.
Littlepage also seemed miffed that the media did not take his candidacy seriously. The media didn't take Jones seriously, either, until the last few days.
Copeland had evaluated the assistant coaches as long shots. Surely, the media figured, the man wasn't going to search for 10 months, then pick a homebody.
That is precisely what happened, but there certainly were no indications from Copeland that either assistant coach was a strong contender until there were no more contenders.
by CNB